Myanmar Adventure : Touring Yangon ( Botataung Paya)

After our long trip from Osaka and restless night in the guesthouse, it was time to explore the city.

The weather in Yangon in December is just perfect. Warm but not humid. We decided to walk around the city instead of hiring a cab or trike. We got a map from our guesthouse and found out that Botataung Paya is just about 30 minutes walk away.

Walking around the streets of Yangon is like walking around Cebu. The crowded buses and streets, the street dogs just lazing around and the local street vendors, uncovered hole in the street, uncovered construction site just reminds me of home :).

When we got to Botataung Paya(Pagoda), I found out that ( for the first time) that entering a Buddhist Temple in Myanmar requires you to not only remove your shoes but your socks as well. Foreigners are required to pay $3 each which allows them to take pictures, and use the toilet facilities.

Botataung Paya is located at a spacious river front location. It’s most original feature is a dazzling zigzag corridor, gilded floor to ceiling that snakes its way around to the hollow interior of the 131ft golden zedi(stupa). This is the second one after the original was directly hit during an air raid in November 1943. Unlike any other zedi, which are solid, Botataung is hollow and you walk through it.

Let’s start the tour.

Buddha, sitting underneath a Cobra? This is the first time I’ve seen a Buddha is this way.

A small shrine(?) at the side, where people bring their gifts to Buddha.